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Study results show omega-3s improve comfort, reduce ocular inflammation
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PHOENIX – Researchers who studied the effects of omega-3s found that supplementation improved comfort with and without contact lens wear.
Percy Lazon de la Jara, PhD, reported here at Academy 2012 that 45 participants in a study rated their ocular comfort in the morning and evening with no contact lens wear for 10 days, then with daily disposable contact lens wear for 10 days. The participants then took omega-3 supplements for 6 weeks, and the measurements were repeated, without and with contact lens wear
“Ocular comfort declines over the day regardless of whether lenses are worn or not, but the decline was greatest in magnitude in contact lens wear,” de la Jara said at an academy-sponsored press conference.
“Omega-3s improved overall comfort ratings but did not stop the decline at the end of the day,” de la Jara added. “Omega-3 consumption reduced some inflammatory ocular signs and symptoms in wearers.
“When we look at lid wiper epitheliopathy in the symptomatic group, after being treated with omega-3s, there’s a decrease in symptom scores,” he added.
De la Jara concluded: “When patients were without the treatment, there’s a comfort decrease with or without contact lenses toward the end of the day. After treatment, there’s an ongoing improvement in comfort scores with or without contact lenses. However, when we look at the magnitude in decrease of comfort, that magnitude is much less without contact lenses.
“The contact lenses tend to exacerbate the discomfort response,” he said.